The invention relates to a method for connecting an electrical component to an electrical component support and to an electrical component for an electrical component support, in particular for a motor vehicle.
An electrical component support is a self-supporting structural component with a housing and electrical conductor paths placed in the housing that were basically stamped out a sheet of metal. The material of the conductor paths is so thick and therefore stable that the conductor path ends can serve as contact pins. Furthermore, the material is basically flexible so that conductor path ends can be bent in a desired direction for making contact. The conductor paths basically consist of metal such as, for example, copper, a copper alloy or steel and are in particular 0.1 mm to 1 mm thick.
Electrical components such as, for example, switches, detectors or electromotors are connected to the electrical connections of such conductor paths. Such electrical components are found, for example, in a lock, in particular a door lock of a motor vehicle.
A lock for a motor vehicle in the sense of the present invention basically comprises a rotary latch and at least one pawl with which a rotation of the rotary latch in the direction of opening can be blocked.
For manufacturing an electrical component support, for example, at first conductor paths are stamped out of a sheet of metal and prepared in a supplementary manner, if necessary by bending, for example, for the preparation, with insulating material of contact lugs and/or bores. The conductor paths prepared in this manner, that can still have connecting webs, are placed in a housing of the electrical component support. Insulating material is subsequently injection-molded in a first step for fixing the conductor paths into a casting form for forming a housing. This step is called pre-injection molding; the result is a pre-injection-molded part. Then, connecting webs—to the extent present—between the conductor paths are separated. The pre-injection-molded part is subsequently placed in another casting form and injection-molded again so that a finished housing part is formed. This finished housing part and conductor paths then form the electrical component support.
Contact lugs project out of the insulating material as a rule in order to be connected to electrical components such as, e.g., a switch. The projecting contact lugs form the electrical connections of the electrical component support.
If the electrical component support is now to be connected to an electrical component, the component that is also designated as a structural part is set at the position provided to this end and its electrical contacts are soldered to the associated electrical contact lugs. Then, a switch, for example, is inserted in such a manner that its contacts can be soldered to the projecting contacts or contact lugs of the conductor paths.
Since the conductor paths are stamped out at first in order to subsequently bend conductor path ends, among other things, upward for the preparation of contact lugs, sheeting material is required that only serves to be able to stamp out greatly bent ends from this material. The projecting part of contact lugs is not protected by insulating material against environmental influences.
An electrical component support is known from the publication DE 10 2005 049 975 A1 that comprises conductor paths stamped from tin plate that are connected to a base element. Conductor path ends are electrical contacts that are accessible from the outside. Contacts of electrical components can be connected to them.
As can be gathered from the publication DE 10 2005 049 975 A1, the requirements placed on an electrical component support during its use in a motor vehicle are very high. Such electrical component supports are exposed in the case of a motor vehicle to problematic environmental conditions, in particular as regards temperature, air moisture, dirt and mechanical jolts and vibrations.
The German patent application 10 2011 082 140.6, which is not a prior publication, teaches embedding conductor paths in an electrically insulating material. The conductor paths are completely surrounded by the electrically insulating material with the exception of electrical connections. The electrical connections are accessible from the outside so that they can be electrically connected to electrical contacts of electrical structural parts or components such as switches, detectors, electronic radio components, integrated circuit, electronic chip, electronic control device or motor, for example, by soldering. The conductor paths and electrical connections are different structural parts that are therefore independent of each other at first and can be manufactured independently of each other.
Publication DE 10 204 355 A1 teaches a control device for a motor vehicle. The electrical connections between structural elements are made available by a single-layer stamped grid. Receptacles for contact pins of structural elements are formed in the stamped grid. Structural elements are held by their contact pins in a frictional manner, that is, non-positively in the receptacles and electrically contacted.